Jesus — Clearing the Temple - Monday
TODAY’S VERSE
Ephesians 4:26a
Be angry and do not sin. (ESV)
In this week’s sermon, Scott taught us about the righteous anger of Jesus. No one has to teach us how to be angry, just ask your average toddler. But in this passage, Paul knew we as humans would have to be taught how to control our anger and how to display righteous anger without sin.
Reflecting back over times I have been very angry is a humbling and convicting exercise. Now that I am removed from those immediate situations, I would say most weren’t even things worth being angry about! That doesn’t sound like righteous anger. In the circumstances that did warrant my anger, I still didn’t usually respond with righteousness. It was more like I reacted with harsh words or actions that did not reflect God’s heart.
In a circumstance where God’s heart is one of righteous anger, how do we learn not to sin but rather to reflect His heart with our actions?
I think we find a clue in the following parts of Ephesians 4 that can help us. The second half of verse 26 says, “do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Without going too deep into the weeds, what that doesn’t mean is to stay up for days and become increasingly irrational without sleep to solve every small disagreement with your spouse…)
And, in Ephesians 4:31, Paul tells us, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you.” These verses tell us that anger isn’t a place we can stay forever, because God’s heart is a heart of forgiveness.
We deserve not just God’s anger, but His wrath and judgment as well because of our sin. But thankfully for you and me, God also loves us and forgives us. Jesus would have forgiven the sellers and money-changers mentioned in John 2 if they had believed and sought repentance, just like He is ready to forgive us when we believe in Him and seek repentance.
We are still going to mess up, and unfortunately, I’m probably going to become angry again, and it will look nothing like righteousness. But because of God’s love and grace, we can learn how to be angry without sin. As we walk with Jesus over time and listen to the Holy Spirit, we will begin to look more like Him as He sanctifies us. And along with the Holy Spirit, God has given us His Word and a community of fellow believers to help us grow.
APPLICATION
Is unrighteous anger a consistent struggle for you? Take some time this week to read what the Bible has to say about anger and ask a trusted friend to help you grow in this area.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for Jesus’ example of righteous anger. Help us to model our responses after Him and not to react in our flesh.